diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/installer.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/installer.js
index 66768a620..c5095236e 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/installer.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/installer.js
@@ -235,12 +235,17 @@ function checkPrereq() {
         return Promise.resolve();
     } else {
         return new Promise(resolve => {
-            child_process.execFile(npmCommand,['-v'],function(err) {
+            child_process.execFile(npmCommand,['-v'],function(err,stdout) {
                 if (err) {
                     log.info(log._("server.palette-editor.npm-not-found"));
                     paletteEditorEnabled = false;
                 } else {
-                    paletteEditorEnabled = true;
+                    if (parseInt(stdout.split(".")[0]) < 3) {
+                        log.info(log._("server.palette-editor.npm-too-old"));
+                        paletteEditorEnabled = false;
+                    } else {
+                        paletteEditorEnabled = true;
+                    }
                 }
                 resolve();
             });
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/locales/en-US/runtime.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/locales/en-US/runtime.json
index 8d47d8215..9fbf5f029 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/locales/en-US/runtime.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/locales/en-US/runtime.json
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
         "loading": "Loading palette nodes",
         "palette-editor": {
             "disabled": "Palette editor disabled : user settings",
-            "npm-not-found": "Palette editor disabled : npm command not found"
+            "npm-not-found": "Palette editor disabled : npm command not found",
+            "npm-too-old": "Palette editor disabled : npm version too old - please update"
         },
         "errors": "Failed to register __count__ node type",
         "errors_plural": "Failed to register __count__ node types",